Transwoman forces Centre to embrace change
How difficult is it for someone to change their name, one might ask? If you speak to Kritika*, it might involve a two-year wait, countless visits to government offices of over three ministries and an indefatigable grit to ensure her rights are not overlooked by nonchalant babus.
In what could bring succour to thousands of people from the transgender community across the country, Kritika’s relentless effort has ensured that the the Centre may soon modify the rules by dropping the mandatory sex reassignment surgery (SRS) certificate for trans people when applying for a name change notification under the Gazette of India. The move is significant because, till now, the certificate was a mandatory requirement, despite the provisions laid down by the NALSA judgement, which said that asking for a SRS certificate is “illegal and immoral”.
The trouble for Kritika started two years ago when she wanted to change her name. But, when she went to the Department of Publications, she was asked to furnish a list of documents, including “medical/legal” documents proving her sexual identity.
She found out that while the checklist said that a medical document is required, the proforma mandated a DRS certificate. Despite her pleas, Kritika says that her documents …read more
